Marvin Gaye Stamp in 2019 from USPS!

The U.S. Postal Service will release a Forever stamp in 2019 honoring one of America's finest singers, Mr. Marvin Gaye. Congratulations to artist Kadir Nelson for an excellent job.

We love his voice, from his early Motown hits, many with Tammi Tarrell, through his later masterpieces like What's Going On, Let's Get It On, and Sexual Healing. 

Marvin captured the hearts and souls of so many people, from every community, until his untimely passing in 1984.

The stamp is a fitting addition to his legacy. The popularity of his music seems to have only increased not diminished since his death.

In these troubling times, it is comforting to know Marvin spoke of many of these same issues in his day, never with anger; always with love. Oh, how we could afford to have such a voice today!

All those years ago, Marvin warned of "trigger happy policing" that Black Lives Matter addresses today. He asked, "What's Going On?" and, in "Mercy, Mercy Me", spoke of the damage humans were doing to the environment:

Woah, ah mercy mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows
From the north and south and east

Woah mercy, mercy me, yeah yeah
Ah things ain't what they used to be
Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas
Fish full of mercury

Oh Jesus yeah mercy, mercy me ah
Ah things ain't what they used to be, oh no

Radiation under ground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying

Hey mercy, mercy me oh
Ah things ain't what they used to be
What about this overcrowded land
How much more abuse from man can she stand?

Sometimes it just "make you wanna holler, throw up both your hands...", but Marvin asks us to remember, to always remember this:


"War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate..."